Strawberry plant named ‘Vaulter’

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘Vaulter’ (a.k.a. ‘109261’).

Latin name of the genus and species: Fragaria x ananassa.

Varietal denomination: ‘Vaulter’ (a.k.a. ‘109261’).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry plantdesignated as ‘Vaulter’ (a.k.a. ‘109261’). ‘Vaulter’ is a day neutralstrawberry plant.

‘Vaulter’ (a.k.a. ‘109261’) is the result of a controlled-cross betweena female parent cultivar designated ‘108171’ (unpatented, proprietarycultivar) and a male parent cultivar designated ‘108229’ (strawberryplant named ‘Flame’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,470) made by the Inventorand was first fruited in Watsonville, Calif. growing fields. Followingselection and during testing, the plant was originally designated‘109261’ and subsequently named ‘Vaulter’.

This new strawberry plant was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons)by the inventor at Watsonville, Calif. Asexual propagules from theoriginal source have been tested in Watsonville growing fields and to alimited extent, grower fields in high elevation. The properties of thisnew strawberry plant were found to be transmissible by such asexualreproduction. This new strawberry plant is stable and reproduce true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinctive strawberry plantdesignated as ‘Vaulter’. This strawberry plant is primarily adapted tothe climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California.This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it toproduce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production fromMarch through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the neededhumidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintainfruit quality for the production months.

The following traits and photographs in combination distinguishstrawberry plant ‘Vaulter’ from known strawberry varieties. In addition,this new strawberry plant was confirmed to be a unique strawberrygermplasm when tested against the California Seed & Plant Lab, Inc.(Elverta, Calif.) database using Short Sequence Repeats (SSRs). Plantsfor the botanical measurements in the present application were grown asannuals. Any color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The fruit produced by eachnew cultivar is attractive and of excellent quality.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs depict various characteristics of thecultivars as nearly true as possible to make color reproductions.

FIG. 1 shows fruits of ‘Vaulter’.

FIG. 2 shows sliced fruits of ‘Vaulter’.

FIG. 3 shows ‘Vaulter’ plants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

‘Vaulter’ (a.k.a. ‘109261’)

This invention relates to a new and distinctive day-neutral typestrawberry cultivar designated as ‘Vaulter’. It is primarily adapted tothe climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California.This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it toproduce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production fromMarch through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the neededhumidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintainfruit quality for the production months.

The following traits in combination distinguish strawberry variety‘Vaulter’ from the known strawberry varieties. Plants for the botanicalmeasurements in the present application were grown as annuals. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

The detailed botanical description in Table 1 was observed when theplants were 33 weeks after planting. The plants observed were grown in aplot located on a commercial strawberry farm, at 187 San Andreas Rd,Watsonville, Calif. The outdoor field without cover was a sandy loam ona polyethylene-film-covered-raised-bed. A grower standard 1.25 milthickness of polyethylene film was used to cover raised bed. Each rowwas spaced 52 inches apart according to a grower standard.

‘Vaulter’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions, and the phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment. The following observations, measurements, and comparisonsdescribe this plant as grown under normal conditions in Watsonville,Calif. unless otherwise noted.

TABLE 1 Vaulter Char Type Characteristic Vaulter General Plant Habitannual Plant Growth Habit upright Plant Height 35 cm Plant Width 41 cmPlant Width-Crown 6.5 cm Density of foliage, vigor light Plant vigormoderate to high Leaf Terminal leaflet width (mm) 90 Terminal leafletlength (mm) 83 No. teeth/terminal leaflet: 20 Shape of the terminalacute to obtuse leaflet base Shape of terminal leaflet in concavecross-section Margin description of the serrate terminal Color of upperside of leaves 137A Color of lower side of leaves 139A Leaf blisteringweak Leaf glossiness medium Limbs Petiole length (cm) 23 Petiolediameter (mm) 3.55 Petiole color 145B Petiolule length (mm) 20 Petiolulediameter (mm) 3.55 Attitude of hairs on petiole upwards and pedicelStipule pubescence sparse Stipule length (cm) 3.1 Stipule size small tomedium Stipule width (cm) 0.9 Stipule anthocyanin present Stipule color(color code) 145A Pedicel color (color code) 145A Peduncle length (cm)24.5 Peduncle size medium to large Peduncle attitude erect Pedunclepubescence, medium, upwards attitude of hairs InflorescenceInflorescence position relative to above foliage Flower arrangement ofpetals free to touching Petal length (cm) 1.2 Petal width (cm) 1.1 Petalnumber per flower 6 Upper Petal color 155C Lower Petal color 155C Calyxdiameter (cm) 3.2 Corolla diameter (cm) 3.1 Sepal length (cm) 0.12 Sepalwidth (cm) 0.6 Time of flowering March (50% of plants in bloom) Shape ofstigma capitate Color of stigma 15D Length of style (mm) 2 Color ofstyle 4A Color of the ovary 145C Length of the stamens (mm) 4.5 Numberof stamen 29 Anther color 20A Shape of anther dorsifixed Size of anthersmall Amount of pollen scarce to moderate Color of pollen 7D Color offilament 149D Length of filament (mm) 4 Number of flowers per truss 3 to5 Stolon Stolon number 6 Stolon anthocyanin 183A Widest diameter ofstolon 5.07 At leaf attachment (mm) Stolon color 145A Fruit Number offruit per truss 3 to 4 Fruit length (cm) 5 Fruit width (cm) 4.5 Fruitskin color 44A Fruit flesh color excluding core 44A Fruit core length(cm) 4.2 Fruit core width (cm) 1.8 Fruit core color 41B Fruit weight (g)30.5 Predominant fruit shape conic to globose conic Shape differencebetween Similar shape primary & secondary fruits Width of band withoutof medium achenes Fruit glossiness strong Position of achenes even tobelow surface Achene color 145A Achenes per fruit 252 Achene weight (g)0.11 Position of calyx even to inserted level of adherence of calyxstrong Color of calyx 137A Firmness of flesh medium to firm Evenness offlesh color nearly even Sweetness (brix) 7.5 pH 3.32 Yield (g per plantper season) 2658

When ‘Vaulter’ is compared to the proprietary female parent (108171),‘Vaulter’ has a greater fruit yield than the female parent. Thevolumetric fruit shape of ‘Vaulter’ is a fuller figure than a long conicshaped fruit of the female parent.

When ‘Vaulter’ is compared to the proprietary male parent ‘Flame’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 28,470), the fruit pulp of ‘Flame’ has a deep red color,while ‘Vaulter’ has a pale color. In terms of plant shape, ‘Vaulter’ ismore upright than ‘Flame’.

When ‘Vaulter’ is compared to the check variety ‘Monterey’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 19,767), the ratio of flower stem length compared to petiolelength for ‘Vaulter’ is longer than that of ‘Monterey’. Consequently,‘Vaulter’ flowers are placed above the leaf canopy further than‘Monterey’ flowers. Also, the ripened fruits of ‘Vaulter’ hang downbelow the plant further than those of ‘Monterey’ on the raised bed.‘Vaulter’ leaves are thinner than ‘Monterey’ leaves in terms of leafthickness. In terms of fruit hardness, ‘Vaulter’ fruits are softer than‘Monterey’ fruits. ‘Vaulter’ has more open space between the leaves than‘Monterey’. That is, the foliage of ‘Vaulter’ is less dense than that of‘Monterey’. Furthermore, ‘Vaulter’ differs from ‘Monterey’ as ‘Vaulter’does not produce stolons during the fruiting season.

TABLE 2 Comparison of fruit features of ‘Vaulter’ with the proprietarymale and female parents FRUIT FRUIT HYBRID HYBRID WIDTH HEIGHT FRUITRATIO ID NAME (mm) (mm) (Height/Width) 108171 Female Parent 40.13 46.901.17 108229 Male Parent 40.46 45.86 1.13 (Flame) 109261 Vaulter 41.3245.37 1.10 FRUIT HARDNESS Yield HYBRID ID SHAPE* (newtons) (g/clone)108171 7 6.80 688 108229 6 7.79 1196  (Flame) 109261 6 7.32 744 *Fruitshape: 1. Oblate; 2. Globose; 3. Fan Lobes; 4. Necked; 5. Short wedge;6. Symmetric conic; 7. Conic; 8. Long conic; 9. Long wedge

TABLE 3 Comparison of fruit features between ‘Vaulter’ and the checkvariety FRUIT FRUIT HYBRID HYBRID WIDTH HEIGHT FRUIT RATIO ID NAME (mm)(mm) (Height/Width) Check Montery 43.70 48.33 1.11 Variety (U.S. PlantPat. No. 19,767) 109261 Vaulter 41.32 45.37 1.10 FRUIT HARDNESS YieldHYBRID ID SHAPE* (newtons) (g/clone) Check 6 9.04 840 Variety 109261 67.32 744 *Fruit shape: 1. Oblate; 2. Globose; 3. Fan Lobes; 4. Necked;5. Short wedge; 6. Symmetric conic; 7. Conic; 8. Long conic; 9. Longwedge

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberryplant named ‘Vaulter’ substantially as shown and described herein.